Argentina captain Lionel Messi admitted his side has significant areas to improve despite securing a hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.
The defending champions survived a spirited challenge from tournament debutants Cape Verde to book their place in the Round of 16, extending their streak of reaching the knockout stage for the sixth consecutive World Cup.
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Reflecting on the intense contest, Messi said Argentina must learn from their mistakes while taking confidence from the positives.
“Today, we gave everything, as we always do. There were moments when we played well and others when we struggled. The important thing now is to recover, prepare for the next match, and focus on improving. We did some good things, but there were also many aspects we need to correct,” Messi said after the match.
Messi opened the scoring with a superb finish, but Cape Verde refused to back down and equalised to force extra time. Argentina regained the lead during the additional period, only for Cape Verde to respond once again through a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral, one of the standout goals of the tournament.
The decisive moment came when Cape Verde defender Diney Borges inadvertently headed Cristian Romero’s effort into his own net, handing Argentina a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Despite the defeat, Cape Verde won widespread admiration for their courageous performance. Ranked 67th in the world, the African island nation became the smallest country by population to ever reach the FIFA World Cup knockout stages. With just over 525,000 residents, Cape Verde’s population is smaller than every U.S. state.
Messi also praised Cape Verde’s resilience and admitted Argentina had expected a difficult challenge.
“We knew it was going to be a very tough match. There was a reason they had already produced strong performances against teams like Spain and Uruguay. We managed to score first, and we thought the game would become easier, but the opposite happened,” Messi said.
“We lost control of possession, dropped too deep, couldn’t press effectively, and they made the most of their strengths. This is a knockout tournament where every team fights until the end, and nobody gives you anything for free.”
Argentina will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, hoping to deliver a more convincing performance as they continue their quest to defend the World Cup title, while Cape Verde exit the tournament with their reputation significantly enhanced after an unforgettable campaign.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
